Labour's Grip On Maoris Weakening

Chronicle (Levin), 31 March 1948, Page 7

Labour's Grip On Maoris Weakening

(Per Press AssociationJ

marcii su. The organisihg secretary of tlic j.vlaoi'1 Aclvisory douncil of the New Zealand Labour Party, Mr. O. T. Haddon, scated during an intervlew In ^ Weilingson that uiie trovei'iuiient gnp on the fonr Maori Parliamentary conscituencies was weakening, ahd that rtatanaism, with which the ■ Lahour i^arty nad efl'ected a political aiiiance,-, v»/as disintegrating. Mr. iiaddun, vviio onCe campaigned on beluilf oi: ihe A.Laori luembers of Parliament, aud who was the author of "The Mauri Way of Liio ' a propaganda booklet issued by the Labour Party before the Jast general election, is touring tlie Maori eieclorates with thp objcci oi orgaiiisiug au iudexieudent political group. • ' Very few people seem to realise it, although l beiieve some Government members are uneasily aware of the fact, that Ratanaism, as a religious cult, is coliapsing upon itself,"' said Mr. Haclaon. "The process may develop very swiftly, and Latanaism will join the gnosts of Jiingatu, Hauhauism and toliuneaism.

"The political effects will certainly be considerable, and 1 beiieve that they are already appearing. When the Labour Party formed au alliance with the religious cult, many people regarded it' as a clever political expedlent. ft.has certainly yielded some dividends to the' Goverument. aud it gave 'the Labour Pa'rtv its only Parliamentary mandate at the last general election. Yet, time will aliiiost certainly j)rove tlie foily, from the viewpoint of worthwhile political results and security, of a union without, imrallel elsewhere in the British Conlhionwealtli of Nations, and. possibly in tha world. ' ; Hopes Not Realised Mr. Haddon said that very many Maoris, who had voted for the Government, had long been dissatisiied wij.li the allianee with itatanaism. They had. however, hoped for the best, and thev had eontinued to look for the emergenc'e of a stable and consequential political element from the allianee. These expectations had not been realised, anu there was now a rending of the feelings of the, 'Maori people. « tft ■

After the last election, which mad. the lour Maori memoers tne neystona oi the enfcire strucoure of tne uoeern ment, the Maoris waited for the fuinl nient of their hopes oi having a potem polincal lorce to scac,e 'cne causes oi tne race. Lrowmg numhers oi' tnein wer.. , being disiilrrsionea, becausc tney couiu see tnac the Maori fepresdntation wa; ' an appendage to a pakeha poiitica., party, insteaa of thc fortnright voice o_ the Maori peopie. "A great poiitical cliance has Deeu missed since the election," stated Mr. Haddon. "Tlnit was tlie time to give , the Maoris a true and digniiied re sponsibility for their own anairs. Thc political machiii'e has, however, denien this to the JMaoris. Tne most respousibJt posts are retained by pakeha Mmisters. JL'lie- administration is irom tlie top, and uureaucratic, ralher tlian from the I people, through their eiected representa-' 1 tives. " " j Transitional Stage ' | Mr. Iladdin said it vvas not enougli to j assure the "Maoris that they had the J balanee of power. In reality, it was kept I frum thoni. Ncithcr was it enougli, | especially to Ihe younger Maoris. to 1

have their alfairs more or less. coniined ' J to Parliamentary statement's on com- I pens^tion claims. The Maoris expecte'd I tlieir Parliamentary representatives tq ! lliave a clear and, if necessary, an in- i 'dependent voice on the truer needs of | the Maoris, who were in a troublous -I transitional stage, requiring their com- ,1 plete adjustment in tlie commuility. j That vvas wliy, lie said, many Maoris I wei"e closely studying the conflict be- I tween the political and _ indiistrial I Labour movcments, .and it had tq 'be I r.ealised that large numbers of Maoris ! ,were now deeply interested in industrial I Labour. Many ofjdiem saw a lesson in I the fact that a large -part of the in- | dustriali Labour movement was resolute- I ly affirnxing its independence of thc 'i party machine, as a traditional right in i impartially advancing fhe claims of the f membership. I "My tour is for the purpose of dis- | c'overing the means of a more efPective J Parliamentkry iepr>-sputMW.,i . f v « I Mau.is, >ithuu[- i c iicueht oi uti, . - § vrise of katanaiom, or a'nytning .of the JL Idr.d, " Said MV. Ha jaon, : • H